Andy Knott

Andy Knott works in political theory, with a specific interest in political subjects, especially individualism and the people of populism, as well as debates across contemporary democratic theory.

Current research is focused on populism, with an interest in drawing on theoretical, historical and contemporary accounts of this complex political phenomenon. Recent projects have involved: the thorny question of defining populism; analysing populism's beginnings; left-wing populism; and, populism and political subjects.

Andy is also working on a longer-term historical project on individualism, drawing in Hobbes, Locke, Defoe and Swift, Smith, Bentham, Mill, Hobhouse, Hayek and other neoliberals.

Research interests also include Laclau, Mouffe, discourse theory, radical democracy, and their roots in the likes of Machiavelli and Gramsci.

I'm interested in projects grappling with populism considered broadly, including contemporary, empirical, theoretical and historical accounts. Alongside tackling the notion of the people, my interest in political subjects include the individual, the multitude, the ochlos, and so on.